AMBITCHIOUS.

———— announcing her grace, ( son ‘cosima’ areum ), the ( 36 ) year old ( duchess ) of ( gyeongsang ).       she is often confused with ( seo ji hye ). some say that she is ( arrogant and ruthless ), but she is actually ( ambitious and determined ).

biography ﹔ profile ﹔ pinterest ﹔ potential connections

grandma, it’s me .... anastasia annie ( she/her, 22, gmt+1 ).  HELLO AND I MISSED U to everyone i’ve already met, and HELLO I’M EXCITED TO MEET N WRITE WITH U to all the ppl i haven’t !!!  the link above leads to a prose ver of her backstory, and an abridged version is under the cut ^^

he nodded, it was as he expected. mixed reactions were better than all around bad reactions. he relaxed a little then. perhaps it wasn’t all bad. perhaps he could come out of this unscathed. lixue had over reacted. smarting from his decision instead of predicting the future. “yes, i thought so too. i can’t expect korea to support us if i do not start with them and their allies. san was hurt that i didn’t consult him and lixue was…unhappy but i know it was the right choice.”

CONSIDER ADOPTING ﹔ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐒

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐑

first name ﹔ utp last name ﹔ son titles ﹔ duke of jeolla,  minister of economy age ﹔ 30-35 suggested fcs ﹔ lee soohyuk,  kim soohyun,  lee minho,  yoon park,  utp

There are certain expectations for his future, from his parents, from his grandparents, from the nation. For some, this would be a shackle, but for him, it is a goal to strive towards, though not out of blind allegiance   ﹔   with a lineage stretching back to royalty on both sides, such greatness is merely his due. Once this is understood, the pursuit of excellence begins, a trend that continues throughout his life. When his father is appointed minister, he applies himself to the study of economics, preparing for his future government position even as a teenager. As the years pass, the same zeal is set towards all his goals:   he finishes secondary school the first of his class, graduates university cum laude, serves in the military with distinction, makes connections with other nobility, and learns how to best govern the province of Jeolla. Then his father reaches the unofficial but traditional age of retirement, and he spends the entire year in anticipation only for it to pass with no more fanfare than a birthday party. The official stance is that it is the desire for public service that keeps the duke from relinquishing the position, but a thought burns ever brighter in the back of his mind   ( fueled by the court’s whispers, by his father’s approving nods, by his mother’s regal bearing )   of one day being emperor. In the meantime, however, there is nothing to do but wait and observe his family, each a fire in their own right. His sister blazes with ambition and drive, his mother goes from quiet steadfastness to smoldering resentment in an instant, his father watches events like the flickering shadows of embers   —   until, just as suddenly as water poured upon coals, the old duke is snuffed out. One morning, he is a lord, heir to a title that seems as if it will never be his ﹔ the next, he is both duke and minister in one fell swoop. A lifetime of waiting brought to an end, everything he has worked towards suddenly within his grasp, and all he has to do is reach out and take it. The only thing that remains to be seen is if he will stay content with this role, or aim for one greater still.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑

first name ﹔ utp last name ﹔ son title ﹔ lord of jeolla,  heir to the dukedom age ﹔ 26-29 suggested fcs ﹔ park jinyoung,  jang kiyong,  nam joohyuk,  kwak dongyeon,  utp

Some say the youngest child is the most privileged, and this stereotype has often proven true in the Son family. He is doted upon, the apple of his parent’s eye, and, within reason,   ( as long as he furthers the Son name, a task which he sets himself to with the same drive inherent in each of the siblings )   he is free   —   free from the obligations of a future as duke, the basic training received but none of the extensive instruction that his brother has devoured   ﹔   free from the weight of his parent’s plans for a male heir, plans which even he does not know the full breadth of   ﹔   free to go where he wishes, to study what he wants, to befriend whom he chooses. Quite an irony, then, that this same freedom also acts as a constraint:   after all, what can a spare truly achieve? He has graduated from a top university, impressed during his military service, and made friends nearly everywhere he goes, but the family blood still flows through his veins, a constant, possessive desire for more. His father's death is cause for mourning, the loss a devastating one, but insouciance wars with ambition. After all, a dark cloud can have a silver lining, and in every tragedy is a chance to begin anew.

𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐒

established connections  ﹔  areumson  (older sister),  diannayi,  yicamilla,  yijane,  yiseonhyes,  yisvn,  aurcls  (cousins) further inspiration  ﹔  pinterest,  the south korean nobility,  news of the previous duke’s death,  a masterlist of all korean characters at or mentioned in hshq. credit  ﹔  template base by pupseditsx. notes  ﹔  there are plenty of upcoming plots  &  dramatic moments for the korean royal family, and I’d love to see how their presence adds to the dynamic !!   if you’re interested or have any questions, feel free to message me @areumson.   below are a few additional wanted connections which they could fit !

SOUTH KOREA MOURNS LOSS OF THE DUKE OF JEOLLA Son Hoyoung, Duke of Jeolla and Minister of Economy, dies of a heart attack at age 60.

On October 29th, the Korean public received word that His Grace Son Hoyoung had passed away in the early morning hours due to a heart attack. His wife, the Grand Princess Yi Hyeryeong, said in a statement that it was “quite a shock” as the late Duke had “always seemed in excellent health,” and that their family was “overcome with grief at the loss.” The statement also noted that the funeral would be a modest one, in honor of his campaign for frugality and moderation among the country’s leaders.  

The Duke was known for his commitment to serving the public; at 60, he had held his title five years longer than is the unofficial custom among South Korean dukes, with his efforts in this role advancing the region of Jeolla's prosperity and standing both domestically and internationally. In addition, he had spent the last two decades as the Minister of Economy, during which the nation's GDP reached several record highs. 

jianguo let himself breathe for a few minutes. it was gratifying to be told he’d done the right thing like that. to not be questioned but validated. somehow it was only gahye and areum who’d been able to do that. he huffed out a breath, sounding pleased. “i couldn’t agree more. i had let it go on too long. i will not let it happen again.” he looked at her, expression a little unsure and too open because it wasn’t years ago in her dorm room at oxford. “how did it look? when i betrayed france? did people think me weak for going against my own interests?”

Days like today didn’t often come to the cold hearted princess of Turkey looked forward to dealing in any form of business; especially not with a friend. Unless, it was the alluring Cosima. A comet of a woman who streaked through the sky with such brilliance while blinding those who opposed her. It was refreshing to see what unfettered pioneer in the every changing waters of the political sphere. Despite her station and all of its restrictions, she made scorched the soil beneath her heels with positive energy and grace. Her daughters never had to worry about the world impeding on their shores because Cosima would destroy whatever drew near. Hafiz almost envied the love that blossomed within the cracks of their world. She has never felt that before. Tipping her head to the attendant who escorted her in, Hafiz bowed softly to Cosima. “Far too long for my liking,” she offered with a pout. “I am happy to know my nearest and dearest companion has returned. Now, where are the girls?” Hafiz looked around happily before sinking into the place adjacent to Cosima. “I brought presents and let them at the door,” she smirked. 

“Ah, yes! The secondary reason I’ve come today. I sent you a fleshed out proposal with finite numbers if you decide that you’d like to go on this journey with me.” Her hands gingerly flattened in her lap. “I’ve noticed a deep decline more artistically inclined programs for children all over the world. We all know how deeply we vest value on projected usefulness and the bottom line. Although, why does that bottom line have to look so gray in a world we can fill with color. If we had forced Van Gogh to be a business man, would we know what it was like to thirsty for a something so simple as an evening beneath the stars on an unnamed terrance. Who would have thought something so mundane could have such power?” 

“It certainly has.”  Traveling from place to place was a double edged blade, the amount of time one could spend with people waxing and waning based on location. Still, connections were akin to currency in some situations, and cultivating them an essential aspect. Areum bowed her head in return to Hafiz’s greeting, then her smile grew at the other’s question.  “That is very generous, and will certainly be appreciated, though they don’t need any more spoiling ﹔ both of their grandmothers are insisting on sending boxes upon boxes of Christmas presents. Far more than usual, but that is most likely because we won’t be home for the holiday.”  Something she had gotten complaints about from both sides of the family.  “The girls are out for another hour or so  —  I thought it would be best if we discussed business without any distractions, and then they could come home to greet you afterwards.”

“yes, it’s been hard. she doesn’t seem to mind though. seems to think she’s all grown up already.” jianguo smiled at areum, “i wouldn’t sell yourself short like that.” this is what makes people think he’s too soft. too willing to bolster others without any reason to. she didn’t mean to talk about politics but here they were. he made sure not to sigh aloud and sat down on a nearby bench, right ankle crossed over his right knee. “yes, i can imagine it was a scary situation for all the families involved. i can only be glad that we were able to stop the violence.” instability is indeed bad for business. even his. he did not expect areum to express concern for the yis and she didn’t. she also didn’t ask anything else and jianguo could have left it at that but he found himself saying, “it was time i stepped up and handled the situation.”

 ❛   this part of the world, there are many rituals, everyone has no shortage of grace, everything is made with care, i find that very interesting. after all it is more than souvenirs we should bring home eh ?   ❜   watching her chuckle grows a slight, but genuine smile, gaze darting over the wine list.    ❛   the brunello ?  italian, aged. i like the sangiovese variety i don’t have it very often — only thrice actually, each time it was very pleasant,  ❜  she had said italian vintages, hadn’t she ? he holds up two fingers, with a nod, and then a shallow bow of his head in silent thanks.   ❛   whiskey production in germany is quite new compared to elsewhere, barley and rye mostly. the approach is different to say… scotch. mostly we favour single malt. it is quite prized, especially further north, it used to be an outlaw spirit !  ❜   the duchess speaks so grimly, as their drinks arrive, but her admissions draw a hearty, careless laugh. ❛   can i confess ? we were both so stoic and reasonable, but before we saw that it was barker, my first thought was, my bag doesn’t have enough weapons, i foolishly loaded up on rope and water, i do not have the skill fight a snake with my bare hands nor are these pants fang-proof, best chance, grab you and run, and get sued later !  ❜    he raises his glass to her, other hand poised to make a comically vehement gesture,   ❛   the first thing i did after settling in here and attending all the drills, was to arrange for that establishment to have a good supply of flares. so to new bonds forged and hopefully never having to battle a snake or go on rescue missions again !  ❜ 

Head nods in agreement with a soft chuckle fall through, rather than responding, the nonverbal response should suffice. Otherwise, Maitê’d go on for a few more minutes which potentially happens not too often, but when in the company of someone she finds equally interesting. “It is, and also a relief. I enjoy their company and bring me a sense of home.” As it isn’t an over-exaggeration, but the utter truth. It was hard to keep a close eye on them if they were halfway across the world. “I’ll take your word on it, honestly, I haven’t had the time to explore the city, which is a shame. This is the longest I have been in Tokyo.” Maitê follows as they were led to their private location, away from the curious eyes and perhaps, ears.

—

"I’m glad to hear that.”  The importance of family had been impressed upon her from a very young age  ( though it had only applied to her immediate kin, not extended relatives )  and continued to play a large role in her decision-making process.  “That is indeed a pity ﹔ although I am not the type to meander aimlessly throughout a city, learning about one’s surroundings is always beneficial.”  Once they arrive at their table, Areum sits, murmuring a thanks to the waiter as he gently pushes her chair in and sets a menu in front of her, then returns her focus to her companion. “You have been at the program for a few months now, but if I remember correctly, you previously focused most of your time on Brazil rather than international tours. Do you mind me asking what changed your mind?”

“ but desperate enough to conspire something with your cousin? ”  she frowns,  this was supposed to be her interrogating areum,  not the other way around!  “ we are not discussing anything.  i looked through his email while his laptop was left unattended when he came to visit jinny. ”  why did she over explain herself just now?  first aditya and now her?  this is all too much.  “ and what about you?  arriving without your husband?  dahye says she heard affair rumors,  but i told her that’s just silly!  who in their right mind would want to be involved with your husband! ”